18.658, Diss: Discourse Analysis/Pragmatics/Socioling: Filardo-Llamas: 'Lan...'

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LINGUIST List: Vol-18-658. Thu Mar 01 2007. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 18.658, Diss: Discourse Analysis/Pragmatics/Socioling: Filardo-Llamas: 'Lan...'

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1)
Date: 25-Feb-2007
From: Laura Filardo-Llamas < laurafll at yahoo.com >
Subject: Language and Legitimisation: Political discourse analysis in Northern Ireland after the Agreement, 1998-2004 

	
-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Thu, 01 Mar 2007 17:04:53
From: Laura Filardo-Llamas < laurafll at yahoo.com >
Subject: Language and Legitimisation: Political discourse analysis in Northern Ireland after the Agreement, 1998-2004 
 


Institution: University of Valladolid 
Program: Filologías Modernas 
Dissertation Status: Completed 
Degree Date: 2007 

Author: Laura Filardo-Llamas

Dissertation Title: Language and Legitimisation: Political discourse analysis
in Northern Ireland after the Agreement, 1998-2004 

Linguistic Field(s): Discourse Analysis
                     Pragmatics
                     Sociolinguistics

Subject Language(s): English (eng)


Dissertation Director(s):
Elena González-Cascos

Dissertation Abstract:

In this thesis I have attempted to describe the inextricable link between
political discourse and legitimisation. I depart from Chilton's (2004)
hypothesis that political discourse has a legitimising function, which, I
believe, is achieved by means of the creation of different discourse
worlds, which are, in turn, usually related to a set of different
ideological perceptions. I believe that those discourse worlds are
diametrically opposed in conflict society, such as the Northern Irish one.

Therefore, I depart from the presentation of my working hypothesis, in
which I also establish my conception of legitimisation, and the different
types of legitimisation that can be discursively promoted (cf. Martin Rojo
& Van Dijk 1997). In order to describe the context upon which this research
is based, I also present in the thesis a historical and political
description of Northern Ireland, mostly focusing on those historical events
that have taken place since it was created, and how each of the four main
Northern Irish parties understand those historical events. The Northern
Irish parties that are covered in the context section - and in the analysis
- are SF, the SDLP, the UUP and the DUP.

As regards the methodology that is followed for the analysis, I have
departed from the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) approach, mostly as
understood by both Teun Van Dijk and Norman Fairclough. Those conceptions
of CDA are linked to the previously explained legitimising function of
discourse, and also to the four pragmatic categories - namely deixis,
reference, implicit meaning, and metaphors - that will guide the analysis.
In order to establish that link, I rely on the necessary acknowledgement of
context in order to interpret the mentioned pragmatic categories. Taking
into account those departing points, I establish my own model of analysis
of the legitimising function of political discourse.

In the analysis section, I try to test the proposed model by applying it to
three Northern Irish situations, all of them related to the Peace Agreement
signed in 1998. Thus, I first analyse how each of the four main Northern
Irish parties react to that Agreement, and uncover which elements and
aspects are legitimised by each of them. The second situation is related to
each party's conception of police, and how they are discursively
transmitted at the time of the Patten Report in 1999. Finally, I also apply
this model to analyse the political situation that is lived in Northern
Ireland in 2003, in which two distinguishing features have been identified:
the call of elections for the Assembly, and the third act of IRA
decommissioning.

I believe that the analysis allows me to conclude that political discourse
has a legitimising function, which is frequently related to the need to
justify (or unjustify) specific historical and political events. Besides, I
also consider that a linguistic analysis of political discourses may help
us understand how legitimisation is achieved by means of language. 




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